Decisions, decisions
I forgot this bit of information until I read the ESPN headline, Kyrie Irving is playing for Team USA however he could just as easily play for Australia if he chose to. Remember his family moved to Australia in order for his dad to play pro ball, while there Kyrie was born. Kyrie like a number of others has dual citizenship allowing him to play for the nation of his choice. Born in Melbourne Australia but grew up in West Orange New Jersey.
SportsCenter
On July 22 I wrote Fox Sports 1 decided to match the grumpiness of Jason Whitlock with the sarcastic Colin Cowherd. The program is titled “Speak for Yourself” a knockoff of ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption one of the networks most popular programs. Instead of placing “Speak” in the same time slot of the facsimile Fox Sports chose to match it against the first half hour of SportsCenter. The remanding 30 minutes is matched against PTI.
Good idea or bad, everything I read not connected with either network indicates viewership numbers for the Whitlock-Cowherd paring are average to slightly below. Does that state their program in danger of cancellation---I seriously doubt it. My question why place two caustic personalities like Whitlock and Cowherd together? Is Fox Sports 1 that desperate for ratings? I’m unsure if I can provide the answer as for me I’ll take Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser of Pardon the Interruption.
Can you shout “Air ball”?
Team USA played China in a tune up game for the Rio Olympics. I watched a little of the game but it wasn’t very competitive so I changed the channel hoping to find a movie. I missed DeAndre Jordan shooting an air ball from the free-throw line. You know I have issues with poor free throw shooters in fact you might remember a column written several weeks back. I realize shooting free-throws underhand is “girly” but if it aids me on the line I’m doing it.
Without researching I have no idea of Wilt Chamberlain’s free-throw percentage however I know it was bad. I’ve read he would shot 70 to 75% from the line in practice but once the game began a far different matter. I’ve heard all kinds of excuses because Big Men appear to suffer more than smaller players. There is no explanation for poor free-throw shooting except execution at the line. If I were Jordan I might be more embarrassed shooting an air ball than shooting underhand.
In Kevin Durant news
ESPN financial guy Darren Rovell indicates Kevin Durant’s restaurant in Oklahoma City is closing. The restaurant will re-open under a different name after Labor Day September 5. This news is not particularly surprising in all likelihood the restaurant was paying Durant to utilize his name. A number of athletes past and present have conducted business in this manner.
